Tale of the Doomed Prince
by AlessNox
Summary: Translation by UndeadWithoutCoffee A story from the 19th & 20th Dynasty (Around 1300 BC to 1077 BC). Translated from the original story found on Papyrus. I have transcribed it here to form the basis of the Doomed Prince Challenge. Feel free to respond in the Challenge thread of MrsHudson's Kitchen (/topic/118337/71332504/1/Challenge)


Tale of the Doomed Prince

Now hear the tale of the doomed prince. Once upon a time there was a king in Egypt whose heart was heavy because that he had no son. He called upon the gods, and the gods heard, and they decreed that an heir should be born to him. In time came the day of the child's birth. The seven Hathors greeted the prince and pronounced his destiny; they said he would meet with a sudden death, either by a crocodile, or a serpent, or a dog.

The nurses informed the king what the Hathors had said, and the heart of His Majesty was troubled. He commanded that a house should be erected in a lonely place, so that the child might be guarded well, and he provided servants, and all kinds of luxuries, and gave orders that the prince should not be taken outside his safe retreat. It came to pass that the boy grew strong and big. One day he climbed to the flat roof of the house. Looking down, he saw a dog which followed a man, and wondered greatly thereat.

Then he spoke to one of the servants, saying: "What is that which follows the man walking along the road?"

"That," answered the servant, "is a dog."

The boy said: "I should like to have one for myself. Bring a dog to me."

When he spoke thus, the servant informed the king. His Majesty said: "Let him have a young boar hunter, so that he may not fret."

So the prince was given a dog as he had desired.

The boy grew into young manhood, and his limbs were stout; he was indeed a prince of the land. He grew restless in the lonely house, and sent a message to his royal father, saying: "Hear me. Why am I kept a prisoner here? I am destined to die either by a crocodile, a serpent, or a dog; it is the will of the gods. Then let me go forth and follow my heart's desire while I live."

His Majesty considered the matter, and said he would grant the lad's wish. So he caused him to be provided with all kinds of weapons, and consented that the dog should follow him.

A servant of the king conducted the young prince to the eastern frontier, and said: "Now you may go wherever you desire."

The lad called his dog, and set his face toward the north. He hunted on his way and fared well. In time he reached the country of Naharina, and went to the house of a chief.

Now the chief was without a son, and he had but one daughter and she was very fair. He had caused to be erected for her a stately tower with seventy windows, on the summit of a cliff 700 feet from the ground. The fame of the girl went abroad, and her father sent for all the sons of chiefs in the land and said to them: "My daughter will be given in marriage to the youth who can climb up to her window."

Day after day the lads endeavored to scale the cliff, and one afternoon when they were so engaged the young prince arrived and saw them. He was given hearty welcome. They took him to their house, they cleansed him with water and gave him perfumes, and then they set food before him and gave fodder to his horse. They showed him great kindness, and brought sandals to him.

Then they said: "Whence come ye, young man?"

The prince answered: "I am the son of one of the Pharaoh's charioteers. My mother died, and my father then took another wife, who hates me. I have run away from home."

He said no more. They kissed him as if he were a brother, and prevailed upon him to tarry with them a while.

"What can I do here?" asked the prince.

The young men said: "Each day we try to scale the cliff and reach the window of the chief's daughter. She is very fair, and will be given in marriage to the fortunate one who can climb up to her."

On the next day they resumed their wonted task, and the prince stood apart, watching them. Then day followed day, and they endeavoured in vain to reach the window, while he looked on.

It came to pass at length that the prince said to the others: "If you consent, I will make endeavor also; I should like to climb among you."

They gave him leave to join them in the daily task. Now it chanced that the beautiful daughter of the chief in Naharina looked down from her window in the high tower, gazing upon the youths. The prince saw her, and he began to climb with the sons of the chiefs, and he went up and up until he reached the window of the great chief's daughter, the fair one. She took him in her arms and she kissed him.

Then one who had looked on, sought to make glad the heart of the girl's father, and hastened to him and spoke, saying: "At last one of the youths has reached the window of your daughter."

The great chief asked: "Whose son is he?"

He was told: "The youth is the son of one of the Pharaoh's charioteers, who fled from Egypt because of his stepmother."

Then was the great chief very angry, and he said: "Am I to give my daughter in marriage to an Egyptian fugitive? Order him to return at once to his own land."

Messengers were sent to the youth in the tower, and they said to him: "Begone! You must return to the place whence you came."

But the fair maid clung to him. She called upon the god, and swore an oath, saying: "By the name of Ra Harmachis, if he is not to be mine, I will neither eat nor drink again."

When she had spoken thus she grew faint, as if she were about to die. A messenger hastened to her father and told him what the girl had vowed and how she thereupon sank fainting. The great chief then sent men to put the stranger to death if he remained in the tower. When they came nigh the girl, she cried: "By the god, if you slay my chosen one, I will die also. I will not live a single hour if he is taken from me."

The girl's words were repeated to her father, and he, the great chief, said: "Let the young man, this stranger, be brought into my presence."

Then was the prince taken before the great chief. He was stricken with fear, but the girl's father embraced him and kissed him, saying: "You are indeed a noble youth. Tell me who you are. I love you as if you were mine own son."

The prince made answer: "My father is a charioteer in the army of the Pharaoh. My mother died, and my father then took another wife, who hates me. I have run away from home."

The great chief gave his daughter to the prince for wife, and provided a goodly dwelling, with servants, a portion of land, and many cattle.

It came to pass some time after this that the prince spoke to his wife, saying: "It is my destiny to die one of three deaths - either by a crocodile, or a serpent, or a dog."

"Let the dog be slain at once," urged the woman.

Said the prince: "I will not permit that my dog be slain. Besides, he would never do me harm."

His wife was much concerned for his safety. He would not let the dog go out unless he went with it.

It came to pass that the prince traveled with his wife to the land of Egypt, and visited the place in which he had formerly dwelt. A giant was with him there. The giant would not allow him to go out after dark, because a crocodile came up from the river each night. But the giant himself went forth, and the crocodile sought in vain to escape him. He bewitched it.

He continued to go out each night, and when dawn came the prince went abroad, and the giant lay down to sleep. This continued for the space of two months. It came to pass on a certain day that the prince made merry in his house. There was a great feast. When darkness fell he lay down to rest, and he fell asleep. His wife busied herself cleansing and anointing her body. Suddenly she beheld a serpent which crept out of a hole to sting the prince. She was sitting beside him, and she called the servants to fill a bowl with milk and honeyed wine for the serpent, and it drank thereof and was intoxicated. Then it was rendered helpless, and rolled over. The woman seized her dagger and slew the serpent, which she flung into her bath.

When she had finished, she awoke the prince, who marveled greatly that he had escaped, and his wife said: "Behold the god has given me the chance to remove one of your dooms. He will let me strike another blow."

The prince made offerings to the god, and prostrated himself, and he continued so to do every day.

It came to pass many days afterwards that the prince went out to walk some distance from his house. He did not go alone, for his dog followed him. It chanced that the dog seized an animal in flight, and the prince followed the chase, running. He reached a place near the bank of the river and went down after the dog. Now the dog was beside the crocodile, who led the prince to the place where the giant was. The crocodile said: "I am your doom and I follow you (I cannot contend) with the giant, but, remember, I will watch you. You may bewitch me (like) the giant, but if you see (me coming once again you will certainly perish)."

Now it came to pass, after the space of two months, that the prince went ...

_Line by Line translation._

Once there lived a king and no son was born to him. He prayed to the gods asking for a son and the gods ordered that he was born. His wife was pregnant and fullfilled the months until birth and had a son. The Hathors came to predict the fortune of the child and said: He will be killed either by a crocodile, a snake or a dog.

The men around the prince listened and repeated the words for his majesty (LHG - very common it means living whole and healthy in German, Leben Heil Gesund). The heart of his majesty (LHG) grew sad and ordered the construction of a building made of stone in the middle of the desert. It was equipped with men and all nice things of the palace and the prince did not have to leave it.

After the prince became adult he stepped upon the roof of his house. There he saw a dog who followed a grown man on the path.

He said to the servant beside him: „What is this that is following the grown man on the path?"

The servant said to him: „It is a dog."

The prince replied: „ Let one like this be brought to me!"

And so the servant went to his majesty (LHG) and told him what the prince said to him.

The kind replied: „Let a shaker ( comment: that's a very small and thus clumsy puppy) be seized because of the uproar in his heart."

So a dog was seized.

As the days passed, the prince grew of age (comment: it literally says he became an adult on all his body). And he sent (comment: a letter most likely) to his father with the words: „ What will come while I sit here? See I belong to destiny (comment: or doom, hence the title). Make that I am released, let me do what my heart says until the god does as he desires!"

So they prepared a chariot for him, equipped with everything for war. And a servant was given to him as a companion (comment: literally placed behind him). And he was brought to the eastern shore (comment: I assume they meant the western desert as a place where the boy's stone house was built, an interesting notion as this is usually the place for building graves).

It was said to him: „Please go as your wish is."

And his dog was with him. So he went, as was his wish, to the north through the desert (the eastern desert) and it was because of the wild animals that he lived.

And he arrived at the Realm of Naharina

The ruler of Naharina had no children save one daughter, a woman (comment: that means she's an adult not a child) and a house was built for her with windows 70 Ellen away from the ground. Then he summoned all the sons of all rulers of Syria and said to them: „This concerns him who reaches the window of my daughter: She will become his wife."

Many days passed as they were busy with their doings ( i.e. Trying to reach the window) as the prince came to them. They took the prince into their house and cleansed him. They gave fodder to his horses and cared for the prince (comment: literally: they did every thing for the prince). They anointed him and treated both his feet that were sore from the travel. They gave food to his companion and they told him in the way of a conversation: „Where are you from beautiful boy?"

He said to them: I am the son of the driver of a chariot from Egypt. My mother died. My father took another wife who is my stepmother. She started to hate me and I fled from there.

Then they embraced and kissed him.

After many days had passed he said the the rulers' sons: What is this that you are doing?

They said to him: Up to today it is 3 months that we are spending our time jumping. And he who reaches the window of the ruler's daughter will recieve her as a wife.

He said to them: If I was not sick at my two feet I would jump with you.

And they went to jump as it was their custom every day and the prince watched them.

Then the face of the daughter of the ruler of Naharina was on him (literally her face was on him).

As many days passed the prince went with the rulers' sons to jump with them. He jumped and reached the windoe of the ruler's daughter. She kissed him and embraced him.

Then someone went to report this to her father. They said to the ruler: A man has reached you daughter's window.

The ruler of Naharina asked: The son of which ruler was it?

They said to him: The son of an Egyptian chariot driver who has fled his stepmother

The ruler of Naharina became angry about this and said: SHould I give my daughter to a fugitive of egypt? Make it that he leaves.

So they went to the prince and told him: Please go to where you came from

But the daughter held him and prayed to the god: As long as Pre-Harachte lasts, if they take him from me I will not eat and not drink and I will die that moment.

The messenger went to tell the father what his daughter had said. He sent men to kill the prince and the daughter said to these men: If you kill him and the sun goes down I will be dead. I will not spent 1 hour at living longer than him

They went to report this to the father and he had the boy and his daughter brought to him. As he saw the princely appearance of the boy he embraced him and kissed him and said to him: Tell me of your life as you are like my son.

The boy said to him: I am the son of the driver of a chariot from Egypt. My mother died. My father took another wife who is my stepmother. She started to hate me and I fled from there.

The ruler of Naharina gave his daughter as wife to him He gave him a haose and a field and animals and every pleasent thing.

As now since vmany days had passed, the boy said to his wife: I have three fates: the crocodile, the serpent (or) the dog.

She said to him: Let [the] dog, who is on you, kill (literally: Make that the dog, who is behind you, killed)

He said to her: I will not have this dog killed who was with me when he was small.

Now she started to watch over him and did not let him go out alone. It happened that in the town where he lived with his wife there was a lake and in it's middle a crocodile. And a Strong One was within who did not let the crocodile leave. And the crocodile did not let the Strong One leave. For the duration fo three months they fought every day when the sun rose.

As many days had passed the boy spent a pleasant day in his house. At night he laid on his bed and fell asleep. His wife filled a bowl with wine and another with beer. A snake came to bite the boy but the wife sat at his side and was not sleeping. She placed the bowls infront of the snake. The snake drank and became drunk and laid down. The wife let it be cut in pieces with an axe and woke her husband to tell him: Look, your god gave one of your dooms into your hand. He will protect you.

So he sacrificed and thanked the god and praised his power every day.

Prince,wife and dog go to another town.

Near the house is a lake with a crocodile and the Ghost/Giant/Strong One (by the way I mislike the Ghost version because the Ghost is usually chracterized as a so called 'able spirit' with the able meaning it is able to DO things, while still not being corporeal. The term one who is strong rather implies a physical presance of some sort). Ghost and crocodile fight every day and are thus busy and bound to the lake.

Now that is the situation. Now following is my translation fo that part as closely as I can. I will try to explain where there are missing parts. the REAL STORY will be in italics everything else is only my own comments.

Als nun [seitdem viele Tage vorübergegangen waren], ging der Jüngling hinaus, um spazieren zu gehen und [um] sich zu auf seinem Landbesitz vergnügen.

Above the German version. It reads:_ As now many days had passed the boy went out to walk and to enjoy himself on his property._

Then a line is missing, which starts with: _not did he_...

The next reads: _And his dog was with him_

Then: _Then the dog said:_ [missing] - we do not know for sure what the dog is saying, in regards to the now following is is usually seen as the dog attacking his owner!

_So he ran from him. _- means the prince ran from the dog

_He reached the lake. He went into the lake because he was fleeing from the dog._

_So the crocodile seized him and took him to where the 'Strong One' was. _

_The crocodile spoke to the prince: I am the doom that followed you._ [this is what egyptologists think the dog also said to the prince] _The days of three months have passed and I am fighting with the 'Strong One'. I will release you to fight. Kill the 'Strong One'._ [Now this part is quite blurry, because a lot of signs are missing within, but it is usually agreed upon that the crocodile offers to spare the prince if he defeats the 'Strong One' for the crocodile]

_And as the land was light again, the 'Strong One' came..._

The rest is lost.


End file.
